


Feedback Weather

by astridsdream



Category: Blaseball (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Memory Alteration, feedback, so many feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:34:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26908201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astridsdream/pseuds/astridsdream
Summary: NaN is Flickering and the weather is Feedback. The combination is painful.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Feedback Weather

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Into the Mic, Please](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/698128) by Fancymancer. 



> It has been said that this story may be too sad for Blaseball. That... is entirely fair.

“Feedback today.” I resist the urge to scratch my everything.

Quitter gives me an odd look, then turns back to the clear blue sky above the field. “Y’think?”

I feel it like scraping sandpaper on my skin, like pieces of me are flying away into clouds. Well, more than usual, I mean. “Yeah. Definitely.”

 _skzz!_ I wince a little at the sizzle of static. I can’t help but notice that Quitter doesn’t blink. Do they not hear it?

McDowell comes up behind me and shoves my shoulder a little too hard, like usual, like every game-

-(why does it feel like he pushed a hand THROUGH me)-

-“You okay, NaN?”

I’m not, I’m really not, but we have a game to play, and I have to be there for my team. “Yeah.” I plaster on a smile and settle my bright purple Tacos cap on my head, like it will keep the rest of me from floating away. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”

He grins back. “We got this. Just keep your eye on the ball.”

I watch my teammates stream past in our gleaming white home uniforms. Halexandrey, trotting up the stairs. I brushed her fur for our last home game last season. Kravitz, chattering about how he’s gonna knock another one out. He hasn’t hit the ball that hard in two seasons, the loudmouth. Dovenpart, socking their hand into their glove. Focused as ever.

My teammates.

My friends.

I take a deep breath and head out to take my position as a fielder for the Unlimited Tacos of Los Angeli.

_skzz!_

Up against the Houston Spies today. They’re trashing us, but I’m having a hard time caring. Being on the field makes the scraping, tingling feeling of Feedback a hundred times worse. It’s like a migraine made of sandpaper. I grit my teeth and try to focus. Sometimes it kind of fades into the background, but mostly it’s there, ever present, grating.

_skzz!_

Oh yeah, and the static.

“NaN, you’re up!”

The pain is bad, and I’m stumbling. Bottom of the seventh. Gods, and I’m first up. Fine. Get it over with. Strike out quick and maybe have time for a nap in the dugout. I let the first two pitches pass me by. Too tired to even swing and miss. _skzz!_

“Keep your eye on the ball!” yells Quitter.

Crap, this ball is coming straight towards me, I gotta swing.

I swing-

_skzz!_  
-(time for phase two)-  
_skzz!_

Crap, the ball’s bouncing straight towards me. I catch it, turn, whip it to first base for the out.

The out?

I look down at my hands. When did I put on my glove? Wasn’t I just at bat?

Who hit that ball?

“Nice catch NaN!” shouts an un _skzz!_ familiar voice, Morrow, right, my-

-wait wai _skzz!_

Right, we… we get drinks together back at The Base, forgot about that for a sec, weird. Must be the Feedback, messing with my head.

Ugh, Feedback. Maybe I should try McDowell’s _skzz!_

Wait, I don’t… I don’t know McDowell. He plays for the Tacos. I play for the _skzz!_ Spies.

(wake up wake upwakeupwaKEUPWA)

_skzz!_

It’s the top of the eighth. Bean hits a double, then steals third. I don’t _skzz!_ I remember, we’ve been playing tag, working on that base running. I feel a swell of (TERROR) pride, glad that I helped a teammate.

Wilson and Escobar go down without a fuss and it’s my at-bat (again).

First pitch, the ball’s coming straight towards me, I gotta swing, I swing—!

**CRACK!**

HOME RUN!

I round the bases, fans _skzz!_ cheering, my trench coat is flapping, and even the Feedback seems less awful, at least for a moment. I _skzz!_ high-five Bean. “Way to keep your eye on the ball!” they say. _skzz!_

We head back to the dugout together, and I can’t resist throwing a triumphant look over at the pathetic Tacos, worst in the league.

I get a good look at Wyatt Quitter’s mournful expression, and a jolt of sadness saps my enthusiasm, makes the grating of Feedback come rushing back, more grating and awful than ever.

Why am I sad? I just hit a two-run homer, my _skzz!_ team is winning. I can’t be sad. Feedback hurts again, that’s all. Ah well.

As I descend into the guest dugout, I high-five my teammates. Clark, who showed me that trick of winking without eyes back in Season 2, but I could never get it right. (you were Wyatt in season— _skzz!_ ) Malik, yeah, I helped xyr with xyr research sometimes. (that wasn’t you that wa— _skzz!_ ) Scotch, gods, so proud of that kid, especially after all his hard work. (nOT YOUR S— _skzz!_ )

My teammates.

My _skzz!_ friends.

The game continues. Feedback sucks, but at least we win. We good-game the Tacos and _skzz!_ walk away, back to our vehicle. My whole-self-ache finally starts to fade as I climb in.

The Boss’s voice crackles on the speakers. “Well done. See that you do it again tomorrow.”

“Hey what’s the weather forecast for Mexico City?” asks Escobar from the back.

“Feedback,” Holloway answers.

_skzz!_

Great.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! One point I want to be clear about is that I'm not trying to make any statements about how trades in Feedback happen. Feedback trades can and should be interpreted in a lot of different ways. Given NaN's uniqueness as a player, I chose this interpretation.
> 
> I am also very into different interpretations of what happened to NaN, specifically, during this sequence of plays. Mine is but one interpretation, and the world of Blaseball contains multitudes. Just look at Los Angeli.
> 
> HUGE thanks to Reblase ( https://reblase.sibr.dev/game/63b0c486-f2e5-4c99-8fe5-17b8687cbd8d ) for archiving the details of the relevant game. Without that page, this story would have been worse.
> 
> And HUGE thanks to the Blaseball wiki ( https://blaseball.fandom.com/wiki/Blaseball,_The_Internet_Blaseball_League_Wiki ) for such delightful and detailed profiles on all the


End file.
